by Ron Parker

Juddmonte Farms’s California-based homebred Champs Elysees (GB) will meet eight challengers at Monmouth Park on Saturday as he attempts to earn his first Grade 1 victory in the $750,000 United Nations Stakes (G1).

The1 3/8-mile contest on Monmouth’s turf course takes on even greater importance as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series goes into high gear at the Oceanport, New Jersey, track with the United Nations winner earning an automatic starting berth in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on October 25 at Santa Anita Park.

Champs Elysees, winner last year of a Group 3 race in France and second in a Group 1 in Italy, has raced exclusively in California since arriving in the United States, winning the San Marcos Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park and finishing on the board in four of his five starts against Grade 1 and Grade 2 competition.

The five-year-old Danehill horse makes his East Coast debut after finishing sixth to Artiste Royal (Ire) in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (G1) on June 7.

Patricia Generazio’s Presious Passion has never been to California but the five-year-old Royal Anthem gelding has done quite well in the East, earning wins in last year’s W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course and the Cliff Hanger Stakes (G3) at the Meadowlands. He added this year’s Pan American Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park before finishing second in his most recent start in Monmouth’s Battlefield Stakes, a race that came off the turf and was run on a very sloppy track.

“He needed to race,” trainer Mary Hartmann said of her decision to run in the Battlefield. “If we wanted to make this race, he needed to run. I thought he did okay in the slop, especially since that was the first time he ever raced on an off track.

“And the best part is he didn’t hurt himself. He came out of the race great and he’s trained well since.”

Presious Passion, who prefers to race on the lead, set turf course records at Monmouth in 2006 at 1 1/16-miles and in 2007 at one-mile but the United Nations distance should not present a problem. His Pan American victory was at 1 ½-miles, and a victory Saturday would also have extra meaning for Hartmann.

“This is my first horse ever in a Grade 1 race, and it’s really exciting.”

Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:

1. Champs Elysees [GB] (Danehill), Ramon A. Dominguez, 120, Robert J. Frankel;

2. Equitable (A.P. Indy), Kent J. Desormeaux, 118, William I. Mott;

3. Presious Passion (Royal Anthem), Eddie Castro, 118, Mary Hartmann;

4. Buddy's Humor (Distorted Humor), Carlos H. Marquez, Jr., 118, Bruce N. Levine;

5. Independent George (Cozzene), Joe Bravo, 118, H. Graham Motion;

6. Sudan [IRE] (Peintre Celebre), Ramon A. Dominguez, 118, Robert J. Frankel;

7. Ra Der Dean (Rahy), A. R. Napravnik, 118, Edward Maher;

8. Strike a Deal (Smart Strike), Jose Lezcano, 118, Alan E. Goldberg; and

9. Crown Point (Honor Grades), Stewart Elliott, 118, David G. Donk.